March 3

In this episode of the Football History Headlines, we discuss an NFL name change and a special draft for one team as well as many more HOF Legendary stories.

March 3, 1950 - National-American Football League reverts back to calling itself the NFL after 3 months. According to Wikipedia when the NFL absorbed the All American Football Conference (AAFC) on December 9, 1949 the 13 teams were realigned into the American and National conferences, which lasted for three seasons. The merged league briefly flirted with the name "National-American Football League", but restored the name "National Football League" a few months later on March 3, 1950. This was the second time the NFL changed its name, the first was in 1922 when the American Professional Football Association (APFA), a mere two years after its founding, did a switcharoo to become the National Football League.

March 3, 1960 - At a special AFL meeting in Oakland, The "allocation" draft was formulated to stock Oakland clubaccording to the Raiders.com. The issue at hand was that oakland was a late replacement franchise for the Twin Cities franchise that resigned after the initial AFL draft due to the NFL announcing a new Vikings franchise in the metro area of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In that round of AFL meetings kicked off at the Leamington Hotel in Oakland. It was determined that 14 players who were originally selected by Minneapolis-St. Paul in the AFL draft, and were “signed by fellow AFL clubs for Oakland,” would transfer to the newly-minted franchise per the Raiders Exposure website.  

March 3, 1890 - South Orange, New Jersey - The brilliant Yale Quarterback from 1909 to 1911, Art Howe arrived into the world. Click his name for more info including a photo.

March 3, 1917 - Hendersonville, Tennessee - Vanderbilt University's stud Center from 1935 through the 1937 season, Carl Hinkle was born. More on this anchor of the Vandy line is found by clicking his name.

March 3, 1952 - Warren, Ohio - Randy Gradishar the great Ohio State Buckeye linebacker from 1971 to 1973 was born. The Football Foundation’s website bio on Gradishar claims he was All-America in 1972 and held the unanimous distinction in 1973 of the honor. Gradishar was Academic All-America in 1973 and was elected to the GTE Academic Hall of Fame in 1992. The NFF chose the collegiate gridiron achievements worthy of archiving with legends when in 1998 they inducted Randy Gradishar into the College Football Hall of Fame. After school he made the Denver Broncos team and played 10 years with the franchise making the Pro Bowl seven times.  

March 3, 1962 - Wrightsville, Georgia - The outstanding running back from the University of Georgia Bulldogs of the early 1980's, Herschel Walker celebrates his day of birth. In Herschel’s three years at Georgia and was unanimous All-America every year per the NFF. When he left after his junior year, he owned 41 school records, 16 Southeastern Conference records, and 11 NCAA records. As a freshman in 1980, he led Georgia to a 12-0 record and the national championship. In 33 regular-season games he scored 55 touchdowns, and rushed for 5,259 yards (an average of 159 a game. In his this and final year of 1982, Walker finally won the Heisman Trophy.  The College Football Hall of Fame threw its doors wide open to accept the college football legacy of Herschel Walker into its fold in 1999.

March 3, 1967 - Chapel Hill, North Carolina - Clarkston Hines the nifty wide receiver of 1986 through 1989 from Duke University celebrated his entrance into this life. The NFF says Clarkston was a two time All-American and is the only player in ACC history to lead the league in receiving yards three consecutive seasons. When he ended his collegiate career Hines held the ACC record for career touchdown receptions with 38. Clarkston Hines was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in the year 2010.

In honor of Art Howe's birth anniversary, the picture in the banner above is from the US Library of Congress' collection and was contributed by the Bain News Servicecirca 1910 and is titled " Football practice at Yale."